Mar 2, 2022, 5:22 pm
Last edit by: TWA884
From the TSA website:
CAT is an effective tool for TSA officers, providing enhanced fraudulent ID detection capabilities while confirming the identity and flight information of travelers.
When a CAT unit is in use, a TSA officer will ask travelers to provide their photo IDs. The officer will insert each photo ID into the CAT unit where the ID is scanned and analyzed.
CAT is linked electronically to the Secure Flight database, which confirms travelers’ flight details, ensuring they are ticketed for travel that day. CAT also displays the pre-screening status (such as TSA PreCheck®) the traveler is eligible for, all without a boarding pass. However, CAT does not eliminate the requirement for passengers to check-in with their airline. Passengers still need their boarding pass to show the airline representative at their gate before boarding their flight.
Credential Authentication Technology
What is CAT?
Credential Authentication Technology (CAT) is a security game changer, ensuring ID authentication, reservation verification and Secure Flight pre-screening status are known in “near” real-time at the airport security checkpoint.CAT is an effective tool for TSA officers, providing enhanced fraudulent ID detection capabilities while confirming the identity and flight information of travelers.
When a CAT unit is in use, a TSA officer will ask travelers to provide their photo IDs. The officer will insert each photo ID into the CAT unit where the ID is scanned and analyzed.
CAT is linked electronically to the Secure Flight database, which confirms travelers’ flight details, ensuring they are ticketed for travel that day. CAT also displays the pre-screening status (such as TSA PreCheck®) the traveler is eligible for, all without a boarding pass. However, CAT does not eliminate the requirement for passengers to check-in with their airline. Passengers still need their boarding pass to show the airline representative at their gate before boarding their flight.
Advantages of CAT
CAT improves the travel document checker’s ability to accurately authenticate passenger identification and pre-screening status, addressing the vulnerabilities associated with ID and boarding pass fraud.Acceptable Forms of ID
Passengers 18 years old and over must show valid identification at the airport checkpoint in order to travel. CAT can scan the following types of identification:- U.S. passport
- U.S. passport card
- U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) ID. This includes IDs for active duty and retired military, their dependents, and DOD civilians. Also, the DOD Common Access Card (CAC).
- U.S. Merchant Mariner ID
- Trusted Traveler card:
- Global Entry
- Secure Electronic Network for Traveler Rapid Inspection (SENTRI)
- Free and Secure Trade (FAST) ID
- NEXUS card
- Permanent Resident Card/Resident Alien Card (I-551)
- Border Crossing Card/nonimmigrant visa (DSP-150)
- DHS refugee travel document (I-571)
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Employment Authorization Document (I-766)
- Driver’s or enhanced driver’s license
- Identification card issued by or under authority of a state Department of Motor Vehicles or equivalent state office that is intended or commonly accepted for the purpose of identifying individuals
- Passports
- United Nations laissez-passer
- Canadian driver’s license
- Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) card
Airport Locations
TSA has CAT units at the following airports:
- Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ)
- Atlantic City International Airport (ACY)
- Albany International Airport (ALB)
- Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC)
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
- Appleton International Airport (ATW)
- Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS)
- Asheville Regional Airport (AVL)
- Bradley International Airport (BDL)
- Bangor International Airport (BGR)
- Birmingham–Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM)
- Billings Logan International Airport (BIL)
- Bismarck Municipal Airport (BIS)
- Nashville International Airport (BNA)
- Boise Airport (Boise Air Terminal) (Gowen Field) (BOI)
- Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
- Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport (Ryan Field) (BTR)
- Burlington International Airport (BTV)
- Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF)
- Hollywood Burbank Airport (was Bob Hope Airport) (BUR)
- Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI)
- Akron–Canton Airport (CAK)
- Charleston International Airport / Charleston AFB (CHS)
- The Eastern Iowa Airport (CID)
- Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE)
- Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)
- John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH)
- Yeager Airport (CRW)
- Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG)
- James M. Cox Dayton International Airport (DAY)
- Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)
- Denver International Airport (DEN)
- Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
- Des Moines International Airport (DSM)
- Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW)
- El Paso International Airport (ELP)
- Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL)
- Sioux Falls Regional Airport (Joe Foss Field) (FSD)
- Spokane International Airport (Geiger Field) (GEG)
- Gulfport–Biloxi International Airport (GPT)
- Green Bay–Austin Straubel International Airport (GRB)
- Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR)
- Piedmont Triad International Airport (GSO)
- Greenville–Spartanburg International Airport (Roger Milliken Field) (GSP)
- Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL)
- Houston William P. Hobby International Airport (HOU)
- Westchester County Airport (HPN)
- Washington-Dulles International Airport (IAD)
- Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)
- Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (formerly Wichita Mid-Continent Airport) (ICT)
- Indianapolis International Airport (IND)
- Long Island MacArthur Airport (ISP)
- Jackson Hole Airport (JAC)
- Jackson–Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport (JAN)
- Jacksonville International Airport (JAX)
- John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
- McCarran International Airport (LAS)
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
- Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport (LBB)
- LaGuardia Airport (LGA)
- Clinton National Airport (Adams Field) (was Little Rock National) (LIT)
- Kansas City International Airport (MCI)
- Orlando International Airport (MCO)
- Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW)
- Manchester–Boston Regional Airport (MHT)
- Miami International Airport (MIA)
- Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE)
- Minot International Airport (MOT)
- Dane County Regional Airport (Truax Field) (MSN)
- Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP)
- Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY)
- Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR)
- Oakland International Airport (OAK)
- Eppley Airfield (OMA)
- Ontario International Airport (ONT)
- Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
- Norfolk International Airport (ORF)
- Paine Field Airport (PAE)
- Palm Beach International Airport (PBI)
- Portland International Airport (PDX)
- Punta Gorda Airport (PGD)
- Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)
- Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX)
- Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT)
- Pensacola International Airport (PNS)
- Tri-Cities Airport (PSC)
- Palm Springs International Airport (PSP)
- Theodore Francis Green State Airport (PVD)
- Portland International Jetport (PWM)
- Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU)
- Richmond International Airport (RIC)
- Reno/Tahoe International Airport (RNO)
- Roanoke–Blacksburg Regional Airport (Woodrum Field) (ROA)
- Greater Rochester International Airport (ROC)
- Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW)
- San Diego International Airport (SAN)
- San Antonio International Airport (SAT)
- Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport (SAV)
- South Bend International Airport (was South Bend Regional) (SBN)
- Louisville International Airport (Standiford Field) (SDF)
- Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
- San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
- Springfield–Branson National Airport (SGF)
- Shreveport Regional Airport (SHV)
- San Jose International Airport (SJC)
- Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (San Juan Airport) (SJU)
- Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)
- Sacramento International Airport (SMF)
- John Wayne Airport (SNA)
- Sarasota–Bradenton International Airport (SRQ)
- St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL)
- Cyril E. King Airport (STT)
- Syracuse Hancock International Airport (SYR)
- Tallahassee International Airport (TLH)
- Tampa International Airport (TPA)
- Tulsa International Airport (TUL
- Tucson International Airport (TUS)
- McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS)
- Northwest Arkansas National Airport (XNA)
New TSA Credential Authentication Technology ID Scanners - No Boarding Pass Required
Oct 12, 2018, 8:34 am
#61
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From May 2017 New TSA ID scanners for PreCheck Passengers - No Boarding Passes Required/Used
Last edited by TWA884; Oct 12, 2018 at 9:01 am Reason: Remove circular link after the posts were relocated to the relevant thread
Oct 12, 2018, 8:59 am
#62
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i didn’t know TSA has already installed new ID scan for PreCheck. I flew out from Miami airport by yesterday. Is that new? I went to PreCheck checkpoints and I scan my eboarding pass from my iPhone and then the next one I went to ID checker. I gave my travel ID to screener. She scanned it and I hear beep. When it did happen? When it did starts?
I've merged your post into the referenced exiting thread on this topic.
TWA884
Travel Safety/Security co-moderator
Nov 6, 2018, 2:55 pm
#63
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I went through IAD last Thursday (November 1st) - machine was present but offline and TSA Officer was doing the standard Desko Penta boarding pass scanner + blacklight for the ID.
The Credential Authentication Technology Scanners apparently did spot a fake ID a couple weeks back; the passenger successfully fled but left behind baggage (which had several other fake IDs).
The Credential Authentication Technology Scanners apparently did spot a fake ID a couple weeks back; the passenger successfully fled but left behind baggage (which had several other fake IDs).
Nov 11, 2018, 10:26 pm
#64
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I went through IAD last Thursday (November 1st) - machine was present but offline and TSA Officer was doing the standard Desko Penta boarding pass scanner + blacklight for the ID.
The Credential Authentication Technology Scanners apparently did spot a fake ID a couple weeks back; the passenger successfully fled but left behind baggage (which had several other fake IDs).
The Credential Authentication Technology Scanners apparently did spot a fake ID a couple weeks back; the passenger successfully fled but left behind baggage (which had several other fake IDs).
Jan 12, 2019, 12:31 am
#65
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No Boarding Pass?
On Sunday, TSA PRE at SEA were actively telling people to put away their boarding passes, that they were not taking them. Sure enough, I tried to hand mine to the agent, he brushed it aside, looked at my ID, and waved me through. They were not taking cell phone boarding passes either.
Is this something new?
Is this something new?
Jan 12, 2019, 10:16 am
#66
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Hello @tatterdema,
I merged your question into the relevant thread.
This system has been in use, on at least a trial basis, at some airports for about a year and a half.
TWA884
Travel Safety/Security co-moderator
I merged your question into the relevant thread.
This system has been in use, on at least a trial basis, at some airports for about a year and a half.
TWA884
Travel Safety/Security co-moderator
May 13, 2019, 9:56 am
#67
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BOS only scanning ID at TSA checkpoint
Flying home through terminal C at BOS yesterday in the precheck lanes all you had to do was present your ID at the checkpoint and the TSO would just scan it in a machine. No need to scan your BP. Is this a new program? I assume it matches your ID to your itinerary somewhere on the backend.
May 13, 2019, 10:17 am
#68
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Moderator's Note
Hello @danib62,
This pilot program has been around for a couple of years. I've merged your post into the referenced exiting thread on this topic.
TWA884
Travel Safety/Security co-moderator
This pilot program has been around for a couple of years. I've merged your post into the referenced exiting thread on this topic.
TWA884
Travel Safety/Security co-moderator
Oct 4, 2019, 2:59 pm
#69
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TSA - No Boarding Pass Needed?
Just went through PreCheck at BOS terminal C. The TSA didn't need my BP - just scanned my [non-RealID] driver's license.
Is this new? I haven't seen it before and didn't see any threads on it.
Is this new? I haven't seen it before and didn't see any threads on it.
Oct 4, 2019, 8:27 pm
#70
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TSA is testing various different things at different airports. This is one of the things being trialed.
Oct 7, 2019, 11:14 am
#71
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They're wildly inconsistent with it. Saw it used once at BOS in terminal C and haven't seen it used since.
Oct 7, 2019, 11:17 am
#72
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Dec 7, 2019, 11:19 am
#73
Join Date: Oct 2011
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New ID check method at DCA
So I was flying back from DCA and handed the agent my federal ID badge. He didn't have one of those UV lights to check it, instead he slid it into a new machine, which rejected it. It seems that ID's no require a special barcode and the standard federal ID doesn't have one. He asked for alternate ID, and I asked him why because it was a federally issued ID that I had just used fly from ATL. He said since the machine can't recognize it so I need an alternate ID. Luckly I had my D/L with me, which worked fine. I could have eventually cleared with my federal ID after providing some other alternate ID.
Last edited by jlc1978; Dec 7, 2019 at 4:24 pm
Dec 7, 2019, 12:46 pm
#74
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Take a look at this thread:
Dec 7, 2019, 4:20 pm
#75
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Thanks. I did not find that thread before I posted. The interesting thing to me is what are perfectly valid Ids are not acceptable using this technology. A passenger could use it at a non-pilot airport and then have to undergo a secondary verification at a pilot site. You'd think they would still accept the valid ID as before, but then this is the TSA.